Trapper&#39;s hip-length boot



SEARCH ROOM FIPBZOQ June 14, 1949. J. M. HATCH TRAPPERS HIP-LENGTH BOOT Filed July 3, 1947 Inventor James MQI'OH Hatch Fig. 4-.

Patented June 14, 1949 SEARCH ROOM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAPPERS HIP-LENGTH BOOT James Merton Hatch, Castine, Maine Application July 3, 1947, Serial No. 758,965

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to rubber and equivalent bOdts such as are worn by trappers, fishermen and others, and has more particular reference to a boot of the type having a substantial kneelength leg portion with a shoe-fitting foot portion, and an extension in the form of a foldable upper.

As the opening statement of the invention recites, I am obviously aware that hip-high boots, wherein the upper is foldable and means is provided for maintaining it compactly in an out-ofthe-way position, are old in the art. What is more. I am not unmindful that it is common practice in this line of endeavor to employ means whereby the extreme upper end of the foldable upper portion may be connected by a strap or equivalent means with a body-encircling belt.

Since the art to which the invention relates is admittedly well developed and reasonably active, it will be obvious, upon inspecting the drawings of this invention, that the principal features and advantages are more or less of a structural and functional measure. In fact, my primary object is to generally. structurally and otherwise improve upon boots in the category under advisement. It follows, therefore, that one object of the invention is to provide the extreme upper end portion of the rollable upper with an extension constituting a flap, said flap having an aperture and said aperture serving to accommodate strap means whereby the apertured flap may be separably and adjustably connected, by way ofsaid strap, with the body-encircling belt.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a so-called hiphigh boot wherein the lower leg portion and the shoe-encompassing portion associate themselves with an extensible and retractable, relatively thin upper, the latter being adapted to be turned down and then rolled or folded into compact condition and encased in a special pocket provided on the interior of the leg portion.

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon the pocket construction which is made up of a length of rubber or equivalent stock in the form of a sleeve, the upper end of said sleeve being sufllciently long to project above the aforementioned leg portion, and being fashioned into straps or tabs which are designed to be fastened over the lower leg portion in a manner to fully retain the upper in the pocket and in a wholly concealed and protected condition.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of boots, each boot constructed in accordance with my ideas, said view showing the boots with the uppers extended and in use, and with said uppers strapped to the wearer's belt;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, this on a larger scale and illustrating the upper retracted and folded into the pocket and taking an out-of-theway position;

Figure 3 is a similar view, based on Figure 2, but with portions broken away and shown in section to bring out the details and the retracted arrangement thereof;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation which serves to advantageously illustrate the pocket-forming sleeve and the associated upper;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a heel with a notched lift;

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 5 with a different type of notch in the lift; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the aforementioned apertured strapping flap.

Referring now to the drawings by lead lines and distinguishing reference numerals, it will be obvious, of course, that although I show a pair of boots in Figure l, I am interested in the construction of only one such boot and will direct my description accordingly. To this end, the boot, as a unitary article, is denoted by the numeral 9 and embodies a so-called knee-length lower leg portion Ill and foot portion H. The foot portion is adapted to fit snugly over the foot and ankle of the wearer and is sized and made accordingly. It includes a heel construction I! which, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, embodies a suitable lift It. In Figure 5, the lift is shown as provided with a substantially U-shaped notch l4 and in Figure 6 a substantially V-shaped notch II is provided. In any event, these notches simply facilitate lodging the heel of the boot on 3 projections on rocks and equivalent elements whereby to facilitate climbing, particularly on rocky surfaces. This notched heel construction is, of course, an important contribution to the overall boot construction, but is primarily of secondary significance, as is obvious. The extensible and retractable part of the boot may be denoted conveniently as the upper l6 and this, as shown, in the drawings, is made of relatively thin rubber. The upper is adapted to be rolled down from the position seen in Figure 1, after which the free end portion is rolled back up and tucked into the upper portion of the lower leg portion Hi. It will be noted that a limited sector of the outer side of the upper, as shown in Figure '7, is formed into an extension I! which is narrowed and tapered to a point I8, there being a reinforcing patch 19 provided and said features I8 and 19 having slot means 20. This arrangement provides a relatively reliable apertured fiap on the upper which serves to accommodate a sustaining strap 2|, as shown in Figure 1. This strap 2 I' has a loop 22 at its top to engage over the wearers belt 23 and has a similar strap fastener secured loop 24 at its bottom which is connectable with the slotted flap. The essential phase of the invention has to do with the protector and pocketing means for the retractable and rollable upper l6. Reference is therefore directed first to Figure 4, wherein it will be seen that the pocket 25 is defined between the leg portion I0 and a sleeve-like flap 26. This flap has its lower end portion 21 secured to the interior of the part III. The upper end is of a length to extend from the leg portion l0 into the upper l6, as indicated at 26c. This extended end portion 28a has a plurality of tabs 28 connected thereto and the tabs are provided with snap fasteners 29 to engage complemental snap fastener means or elements 30 on the exterior surface of the leg portion HI. There is suflicient surplus in the part 26 to allow same to hood down and over the upper portion of the pocket whereby said pocket may be sum ciently closed to shield therolled upper l6, as brought out in Figure 3.

It is obvious that the pocket-forming sleevefiap 26 is of thin, readily yieldable sheet rubber and is approximately, the same gauge as the upper I6. This allows parts I6 and 26 to be readily adaptable and renders same such that each conforms to necessary requirements.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A boot of the class described comprising a foot portion and a knee-high lower leg portion, the latter being provided on its interior, adjacent its top, with a pocket and said lower leg portion being further provided with an extensible and retactable'upper, said-'iipper being of comparatively flexible stock and being inwardly and downwardly coilable in a manner to permit same to be conveniently and compactly housed and protected within the confines of said pocket, the latter having entrance closing means including availably usable circumferentially spaced tabs, and snap fasteners on said leg portion for accommodation of said tabs.

2. A hip-high boot of the class described comprising a foot portion and a knee-length lower leg portion, together with a hip-high upper connected with said leg portion, said upper being of thin stock and rollable into compact form to take an out-of-the-way position within the limits of the top region of said leg portion, the latter having an internal sleeve-like flap attached at its lower end to the intermediate inner surface of said leg portion and coacting withthe latter in spaced relation and defining a pocket, said flap having its opposite upper end free and adapted to be curled outwardly and thus hooded over the mouth of the pocket.

3. The structure specified in claim 2 the free upper end portion of said fiap having circumferentially spaced tabs provided with snap fasteners, and complemental snap fasteners on the exterior side of the leg portion of said boot to accommodate the fasteners of said tabs.

JAMES MERTON HATCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Brown Feb. 24, 1931 

